Ore washer and concentrator



-(No Model.)

. G.M. ELDRIDGE[ ORE WASHER-AID GONGENTEATOR.

Ptented Aug. 1, 1893.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRIFFITH MORGAN ELDRIDGE, OF PHILDELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ORE WASHR AND CONCENTRATOR.

:SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,663, dated August1, 1893.

Application filed April 14 1893. Serial No. 47 ,27 (N m l T0 all whom itmay conccrn:

Be it known that I, GRIFFITH MORGAN ELDRIDGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State'of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in 0re Washers and Concentrators, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings. A

'My invention relates to an improvement npon au 0re washer andconcentrator patented to Charles F. Pike September 1, 1891, No.458,837,and it consists in a device whereby a defect in that machine is obviatedand the gangue is Well agitated without interfering With its separationfrom the 0re.

Referring to the aocompanying drawings: Figure 1. is a sectionalelevation of a washer or concentrator showing details of construction,as in the Pike machine, and also the improvement which I have madetherein. Figs. 2. and 3. are det-ails of a pipe for agitacing thegangue, with single and double nozzle. Fig. 4. is a detail of theperforations in the bottom of the reoeiver. Fig. 5 is a seqtional bottomplan view taken below the plane of dotted lino Fig. 1.

A. represents a feed box having an inolined grating or analogous surfaceleading to a discharge end a, said box having an open botton a below thegrating a. From the bottom a leads a chute pipe 1), which enters anddepends into near the bottom of a preferably open-top cylindricalreceiver B, which is supported in any suitable manner, as indicated at1), upon au outside jacket or chamber 0, so as to admit of its beingrotated by a band, chain or belt b suitably applied and driven, theactuaring or power-transmittingdevice for said belt I) not being shownin the drawings, as they are obvious.

At or near the top of the chamber 0 is a water supply pipe D. and at thebottom of said chamber is a valve d of any suitable or desiredconstruction t0 admit of drawing ofi from time to cime of anyaccumulations of ore in chamber C through outlet pipe et.

The bottom of the receiver B may be constructed as shown in solid limes,or as in dotted lines Z) or otherwise as desired. Depend ing into thereceiver B is a pipe E, which 7 ter.

preferably has an outwardly-flaring or inverted-funnel-shaped lower end6 for embracing the bottom I) of the receiver B. This pipe E connects,preferably by a slip-joint 6, with the inlet-pipe f of a suction or sandpump F of the kind which admits of the passage through it of a largebulk or volume of material, the same being a valveless orcentrifugalpump,commerciallytermedamal-pump. It discharges onto G, whichmay be a wastegrating or sluice or may lead to another concentraior, asmay be desired.

The operaci0n is as follows: The gangue, With its bowlders, stones orother bnlky matter, as contradistinguished from prepared or pulverizedgangue, is dumped or supphed to the grating awhich separates from thegangue the bowlders or other large waste materral. Preferably a streamof water is supplred to the grating a in any suitable manner, as by anindependent pipe or by a branchf from the discharge end f of the pump.The screenings from the grating a are conveyed by the chute-pipe b intothe bottom of the receiver B, where they are subjected to the upwardflow or current of water from supplypipe D. throngh chamber C, and upthrough the perforations in the bottom b of the reoeiver B, and to otherwater current hereinafter specified, whereby the 0re is separated fromthe gangue and brought to the bottom of the receiver and whence it fallsthrough the perforations in said bottom to the bottom of the jacket orchamber 0, from which it may from time to-time be drawn off by openingthe valve in outlet-pipe d.

-The machine, as thus far'described, is the Pike machine, in which thewater supplventers only into the space between -the rece1ver 'B andchamber C, (except that which cornes through'i chute b,) passing upthrough the perforations in the bottom of the rece1ver B, and thusagitating the gangue, while -the ore'passes, or should pass down throughthe same perforations against the current of wa- The defect of thismachine is that With suoh current of water passing up through theseperforations as is necessary sufficiently t0 agitate the gangue theparticles of ore which it is desired to have pass down through theseperforations are held up by the current of water and Will not so passdown; at least to such of them as are of small size or irregular shape;and it is this defect Which my invention is intended to remove. To thisand I continue the connection of the pipe D to the ehamber 0. but Withonly a light pressure of water; and I furnish the reeeiver B a furthersupply of water by a pipe H, whioh enters and depends into the receivernear to its bottom and terminates in one or more nozzles H, (shown indetail in Figs. 2 and 3,) preferably inclining horizontally or below thehorizontal, and preferably directed against the direction of motion ofthereceiver. There may be as many of these pipes H as may be desired.

The cnrrent of water projected from the nozzle of the pipe H is sharpand efieotually stirs up the gangue, oausing and allowing the larger andlighter portions of it to go to the top, and thesmaller and heavier tothe hottom, and keeping it in such loose condition as to be readilyamenable to the action of the upward current of water in the pipe E-while not interfering with the descent of the 0re through theperforations in the bottom of the receiver. These perforations aretapering, larger at the bottom than at the top, s0

that no 0re can iodge in them, as shown in Fig. 4. The pressure of waterin the space between receiver B and chamber 0 is only suficient toprevent accumulation of gangue and ore at the tops of these perforationsbut not sufiicient to make a ourrent which will interfere With the freepassage of the 0re ber to a point immediately above the perforatedbottom, the eombination therewith of a pipe adapted to reoeive a currentof water and having a nozzle adapted to project a stream of water intosaid ohamber above the perforated bottom.

2. In an 0re concentrator and washer having a receiving chamber with aperforated bottom or partition and a pump with a suction-pipe projectinginto said chamber to a point immediately above the perforated bottom thecombination therewith of a pipe adapted to reoeive a current of waterand having a nozzle adapted to project a stream of water into saidchamber above the perforated bottom.

3. In an 0re washing or concentrating apparatus having a rotatingperforated receiver and a pnmp having asuction-pipe projeoting into saidreceiver the combination therewith of a pipe adapted to receive aourrent of water and having a nozzle adapted to project a stream ofwater into said receiver in a direo tion opposite to the direction ofmotion of the receiver.

4. In an ore washer and concentrator having a rotating reoeiving chamberwith a perforated bottom or partition and a pump with a suotion pipeprojecting into said chamber to a point above the perforated bottom, thecombination of a pipe adapted to receive a current of water and having anozzle adapted to project a stream of water into said chamber above theperforatedbottom in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation ofthe chamber and perforations in said bottom or partition tapering fromthe bottom to the top thereot.

EMORY P. DAY, IDA T. SOLTER.

